The main issues in NZ Politics today are inequality, opinion polls, GCSB, Greens, National Party, and asylum seekers. Please note, the NZ Politics Daily service is taking a break for while. [Read more below]
Today’s links
Inequality
Torben Akel (TV3): New Zealand's record on inequality
Brian Easton (Briefing papers): The Purpose of economic policy
Ian Shirley (Briefing papers): The Purposes of social policy
John Minto (Daily Blog): Thoughts on The Spirit Level lectures – The big battle ahead – bringing democracy to our economy
Carrie Stoddart-Smith (Ellipsister): Briefly on the Nation
The Standard: Snapshot of a nation: inequality
TV3: Are more equal societies happier and healthier and generally better off?
TV3: Colin Craig, Sue Moroney respond to Spirit Level authors
Mark Hubbard (Life behind the iron drape): Inequality Timelines, and Matt Nolan’s Tweet of the Day
Frank Macskasy (Daily Blog): Review: TV3’s The Nation – “Let them eat ice cream!”
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): A Budget surplus built by beneficiaries
David Kennedy (Local Bodies): Bill English Helps the Vulnerable?
No Right Turn: The rich rort us again
Martin Hawes (Stuff): Budgeting tips from Bill English
Laura McQuillan (Newstalk ZB): Paula Bennett denies scramble at her Ministry
Rob Stock (Stuff): Confident wealthy plan a spend-up
Laura McQuillan (Newstalk ZB): Paula Bennett denies scramble at her Ministry
Duncan MacLachlan and Cam Price (Salient): Inequality & Poverty
Michael Pohl (Salient): Inequality from the Left
Penny Gault (Salient): Working Hard, or Hardly Working
Latest polls
Tracy Watkins (Stuff): 'Tough and tight' election for National?
Adam Bennett (Herald): National rides post-Budget wave
3 News Online Staff (TV3): National survives MP scandals in latest poll
NBR: Two polls show budget bounce for Nats
Corin Dann (TVNZ): National back in the box seat with a Budget bounce
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): TV polls
Patrick Gower (TV3): National's family policies get support in poll
TVNZ: Poll shows National surviving a tough few weeks
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Tonights 3 News/Reid Research Poll will have National at 51%
John Armstrong (Herald): Labour starting to look like contender
Cameron Slater (Whaleoil): Is John Armstrong on Drugs?
Rob Salmond (Polity): May TV polls
Jess McAllen (Stuff): Rocking the youth vote
Radio NZ: Mandatory voting idea questioned
Lynn Prentice (The Standard): Compulsory voting and an explicit “none of the above”
TVNZ: Under 30s most likely not to vote – poll
Danyl Mclauchlan (Dim-Post): Brumaire
GCSB
Fran O'Sullivan (Herald): Campbell's dot-connecting GCSB 'revelations' fail to pin details on John Key
Andrea Vance (Stuff): Have our spies signed us up to war in Yemen?
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): What’s the difference between John Key and a Drone? Trick question, nothing. Both are controlled by Washington
Redline: When Johnny defends the drone
Cameron Slater (Whaleoil): Terrorism is in NZ
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Manufacturing a domestic Muslim threat in Auckland as Drone strike leaks loom
John Braddock (WSW): New Zealand, Australian governments complicit in US drone attacks
Frank Macskasy (Daily Blog): National-ACT supporters – not the brightest lights in the night sky, eh?
Herald: Drone strike protest outside PM's home
Samantha Anderson (Daily Blog): The Prime Minister is the number one Minister in this country
Paul Buchanan (Kiwipolitico): Should NZ renounce lethal drones?
TVNZ: Protest vigil outside Prime Minister John Key's house
Greens
Andrea Vance (Stuff): Green shoots sprout to top
Radio NZ: Greens make changes to party list
Alex Mason (Newstalk ZB): Greens kick off on-the-ground campaign
Felix Marwick (Newstalk ZB): Surprise choices as Greens decide election rankings
Edward Rooney (Herald): Green Party unveils party list for 2014 election
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): The final 2014 Green Party list
The Standard: The Green Party List
No Right Turn: The Green list
Pete George (Your NZ): Green Party list confirmed
Ele Ludemann (Homepaddock): Green list doens’t rate ag
Patrick Leyland (Progress Report): Greens fail to rejuvenate
Matthew Beveridge: Green Party List
Matthew Beveridge: Green Party Candidates: Follow Up
National Party
Matthew Hooton (NBR): Radical Labour lets Key’s centrist party sneak ahead (paywalled)
Jared Savage (Herald): Maurice Williamson contacted police over another case
Hamish Rutherford (Stuff): New disclosures by Judith Collins
Matthew Theunissen (Herald): MP to talk about undeclared gift next week
Natalie Akoorie (Herald): John Key: A 'tight and tough' election ahead
3 News Online Staff (TV3): National candidate defends tobacco job
Newswire: National names Palmerston North candidate
No Right Turn: A serial offender
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): A silly complaint
Greg Presland (The Standard): Tony Astle does not want progressive customers
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Williamson being a good electorate MP
NZ First
Duncan Garner (Stuff): Is this all you have, Winston?
Tracy Watkins (Stuff): Party in danger of Peter-ing out
Karl du Fresne: Mr Peters comes to Masterton
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Can NZ First survive without Winston
Cameron Slater (Whaleoil): Another missing declaration from Winston Peters
Labour Party
Vernon Small (Stuff): Labour seeks names for key seat
3 News Online Staff (TV3): Labour reopens Tamaki Makaurau nominations
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Labour’s Tamaki Makaurau fiasco continues
Steven Cowan (Against the Current): The spectre of “lesser evil’ politics
Housing
Jolisa Gracewood (Herald): Housing a gamble on our future
Radio NZ: Parties at odds over capital gains tax
Winston Peters (RadioLIVE): ‘Think Big’ Immigration –Cut it to the Bone
Laura Heathcote (Newstalk ZB): Craig: National ignoring housing problem
Cecile Meier (Stuff): To buy a house, or not to buy
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Editorials on Immigration
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Can’t win
NBR: Immigration Minister rejects cap on migrants
Kim Dotcom
Laura Walters (Stuff): Dotcom loses Record of Case fight
Olivia Allison (Radio NZ): FBI case against Dotcom revealed
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Judge dismisses Dotcom conspiracy theories
John Banks
Steve Braunias (Stuff): The secret diary of . . . John Banks
Ian Steward (Stuff): Mud flinging and then soap
Asylum seekers
Tony Wall and Tracy Watkins (Stuff): People-smugglers bid to sail first boat to NZ
Tracey Barnett (Stuff): No need to follow Australia's contentious lead
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Labour’s alien invasion from Mars is getting closer
Tony Wall (Stuff): Desperate bid to reach New Zealand
Newswire: NZ rejects UN's asylum seeker recommendation
Radio NZ: Offshore asylum seeker option open
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): A brief word on asylum seekers sailing to NZ
Mana Dot.com
Adam Bennett (Herald): Former MP Jones in talks with Harawira
Radio NZ: Jones 'put in place' over criticism
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Why the MANA Movement and Internet Party will happen – if it happens
Adam Bennett (Herald): Internet, Mana hookup is looking good
Tom Peters (WSW): NZ pseudo-left group defends Mana-Internet Party alliance
Maori politics
Adam Bennett (Herald): Peters puts spotlight on Maori trust
Simon Day (Stuff): Maori more important?
Jacqui Stanford (Newstalk ZB): Maori Party picks Sharples' stepson for Te Tai Tokerau
Vernon Small and Lois Cairns (Stuff): Ditched Christchurch councillor runs for Parliament
Mamari Stephens (Sparrowhawk): Māori in Australia: standing whose ground?
Cameron Slater (Whaleoil); Maori Party picks unwanted ex-councillor for Te Tai Tonga
Civilian Party
Sophie Ryan and Rebecca Quilliam (Herald): The Civilian Party: 'An honestly dishonest politician'
Rebecca Quilliam (Herald): Satirist launches 'up-of-centre' party
Newswire: Party calls for free ice-cream and llamas
TPP
Audrey Young (Herald): Don't miss the TPP bus, warns Groser
Jordan McLuskey (Salient): A TPPAin the arse?
Other
Stuff: Today in politics: Monday, May 26
Simon Collins (Herald): Pokie payment change 'giant leap backwards'
Neal Wallace (ODT): Rude awakening
TVNZ: Phil Goff: 'Critically important' NZ becomes multi-lingual
Greg Presland (The Standard): The political beliefs of political reporters
Colin Espiner (Stuff): We're the biggest losers
Marika Hill (Stuff): 'Love rat' returns to Auckland
Laura Walters (Stuff): Parties adopt women-specific policies
Lynley Bilby (Herald): Police sex scandal worsens
Rodney Hide (Herald): Why I smacked my 3-year-old
Scott Yorke (Imperator Fish): Thank God that’s fixed
Steve Price (MLJ): Law Commission on contempt
Alexia Russell (Newstalk ZB): No 'Epsom-style deal' for Conservative Party
Vaughan Elder (ODT): Hayne takes MPs to task
Laura McQuillan (Newstalk ZB): Government talks up clause it plans to scrap
Simon Collins (Herald): Pokie payment change 'giant leap backwards'
Jane Clifton (Listener): Pollies in Twitterland (paywalled)
Rachel Smalley (Newstalk ZB): Immigration policy needs to go further
Listener: Editorial: How the land lies
